Counter-terrorism: Scotland

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Scottish Government has requested any meetings with her to discuss the provision of counter terrorism intelligence sharing in the event of Scottish independence.

James Brokenshire: The Scottish Government has not requested any meetings with the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), to discuss the provision of counter terrorism intelligence sharing in the event of Scottish independence.

Police: Surveillance

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the parents of children who died and whose identities were used by undercover police officers have been contacted by the police.

Damian Green: holding answer 27 June 2013
	Operation Herne, the investigation into undercover policing in the Metropolitan police, is maintaining contact with a number of families, or representatives of families, concerned that their child's identity may have been used by undercover officers. For operational reasons, connected to the safety of the officers, no information has been given to any families of deceased children whose identities may have been used by undercover police officers.
	However, as the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), informed Parliament on 24 June 2013, Official Report, column 25, chief constable Mick Creedon, who is leading Operation Herne, expects that his investigation will report on allegations about use of the identities of deceased children before the House rises for the summer recess.

International Assistance

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in what ways the Government plans to seek to ensure the recognition of often marginalised groups, such as nomadic communities or children with disabilities, in the post-2015 millennium development goals.

Justine Greening: The UK is highly active both in the numerous United Nations fora that address the post-2015 agenda, including the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, and with partner governments in capitals. We are proactively building support for the High Level Panel's recommendation that the new goal framework 'leave no one behind,' and that data be disaggregated by social and income groups with no target considered 'achieved' unless it is met for all groups.

St Helena

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of the effect of the St Helena Air Access project on the crab spider Bonapruncinia sanctae-helenae.

Alan Duncan: The crab spider ‘Bonapruncinia sanctae-helenae’ has not been seen since 1967 when two juvenile specimens were found, but the exact location of these discoveries is unknown. Invertebrate surveys in 2003, 2012 and 2013 did not find any further evidence of the presence of this species within the Airport Development Area.

Urban Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress his Department has made since the publication of the Portas review in encouraging large retailers to support and mentor local businesses and independent retailers.

Mark Prisk: The Future High Street Forum, which I co-chair with Alliance Boots executive Alex Gourlay, brings together leaders across retail, property, business, academics, third sector, civil society and government to drive forward new ideas and policies to address the challenges facing high streets. One of the challenges the forum will tackle is encouraging strong local leadership, including getting businesses involved alongside local government and communities.
	As part of its support to the Portas pilots, the Government has been funding Business In The Community to co-ordinate and manage business support and engagement with the Portas pilots. This has seen them set up the High Street Champions programme, where businesses with a commitment to town centres can provide support and encouragement for a Portas pilot to help them achieve their objectives, and to deliver positive change in their towns.
	Further support to small businesses from Government relating to mentoring includes supporting Mentorsme.co.uk, the national mentoring portal operated by the British Bankers Association, and funding the Get Mentoring initiative which aims to recruit and train 15,000 volunteer business mentors from small and medium-sized enterprises. The National Skills Academy for Retail is also rolling out a national mentoring scheme for retail small and medium-sized enterprises, throughout its network of over 50 Skills Shops.

Courts

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the running costs of the commercial courts in England and Wales were in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; and how much income was generated by those courts in each such year.

Helen Grant: The commercial court operates as part of the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court, but HMCTS does not record separately the costs or income for specific types of work delivered in its civil courts. We therefore cannot separately identify the specific running costs or income attributable to the commercial court.
	The Government is on target to achieve its aim to recover the full cost of civil and family business by the end of 2014-15 and a statement showing the total income and expenditure is published in the HMCTS Annual Report and Accounts which can be found at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/corporate-reports/hmcts

Offenders: Mental Health Services

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many mental health treatment requirements were issued as part of a community sentence in England and Wales in 2012;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the introduction of a mandatory punitive element in community sentences on the use of the mental health treatment requirement.

Jeremy Wright: The number of offenders starting a community order with mental health treatment requirements in England and Wales is published annually within Table A4.9 of the 'Offender Management caseload statistics'—2012 Annual tables, and is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/offender-management-statistics-quarterly--2
	Courts are required by law to impose requirements that are the most suitable for the offender. This duty will become subject to the requirement to include a punitive element in every community order once the relevant provision in the Crime and Courts Act 2013 is commenced. It will be for the courts to determine which punitive element is appropriate and proportionate in every case. We do not expect the mandatory punitive element to impact on the use of mental health treatment requirements. Courts must still have regard to the purposes of sentencing including "the reform and rehabilitation of offenders".
	In October 2012 the Government published an Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) covering its response to the consultation document Punishment and Reform: Effective Community Sentences. This said that certain punitive requirements may, with reasonable adjustment, be appropriate for offenders with various protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, which include disability. The EIA reflects the Government's view that the new duty will allow for flexibility to take account of needs related to protected characteristics.

Prisoners: Per Capita Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the cost per prisoner was in (a) publicly run prisons, (b) privately run prisons, (c) the whole prison estate and (d) each individual prison in each year since 2010-11;
	(2)  what the cost per prison place was in (a) publicly run prisons, (b) privately run prisons, (c) the whole prison estate and (d) each individual prison in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13.

Jeremy Wright: As part of the Government's Transparency Agenda, the Department routinely publishes full details of average costs per prisoner and place, based on actual net resource expenditure for each private and public sector prison and in summary form for the whole of the prison estate in England and Wales after the end of the financial year. The information for financial years 2011-12 and 2010-11 is published as an Addendum to the NOMS Annual Report and Accounts and available on the Department's website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prison-and-probation-trusts-performance-statistics-2011-12
	This link includes restated figures for 2010-11 to enable a more true comparison with 2011-12. Copies of these are also placed in the House Library. Figures for financial year 2012-13 have not yet been finalised and therefore not yet available.
	The Government is committed to delivering reform in our public services. The Prison Competition Phase One Programme will deliver efficiency savings, in line with other public sector prisons, over the next four years.
	Care must be taken in considering the comparison between private and public sector costs for the following reasons:
	1. The public and private groups of prisons are not homogenous groups in terms of prison category, size, or age and these factors may have a greater impact on average costs than whether the prisons are public or private sector.
	2. The private sector contracts may have different responsibilities for provision of health or education services than public sector prisons. This will affect their relative costs.
	3. The different financing methods of PFI prisons mean that in an individual year the resource costs of private and public sector prisons are not directly comparable.
	4. The costs are based on resource expenditure recorded in NOMS Annual Accounts. The PFI prisons are on balance sheet, which means that the element of the private contractors’ charges related to the capital cost is not included in the unit costs, while depreciation of buildings is included. Following Government accounting rules, the charge against the resource budget is not calculated in the same way.
	5. The PFI prisons costs include a charge for interest on capital costs. There is no equivalent charge in the public sector costs.

Prisons: Construction

Alec Shelbrooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what feasibility studies his Department has made on the construction of Titan prisons.

Jeremy Wright: I refer you to the answer given on 1 July 2013, Official Report, column 488W. As stated then we are not resurrecting the ‘Titan’ prison programme.
	On 27 June the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling), announced that a new prison, that could hold around 2,000 prisoners, will be built in north Wales. Decisions on size, function and exact location within the region have not been made.

Prisons: Employment

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2013, Official Report, columns 714-5W, on prisons: employment, if he will provide a list of the essential support tasks carried out by prisoners in England and Wales.

Jeremy Wright: This Government is committed to making prisons a place of work, where prisoners have to complete a full working day.
	Following is a list of activities undertaken by prisoners as currently recorded on P-NOMIS(1) (the Prison National Offender Management Information System) which can be viewed as essential support tasks—tasks which need to be completed to ensure a prison operates safely and decently.
	Activity service description
	Kitchen
	Library
	Orderly Cleaners
	Other Occupations
	Recycling Activity
	Wing Cleaning
	Works Department.
	These tasks can include, to provide further detail, the preparation, cooking, and serving of meals; the cleaning of kitchens and utensils; the cleaning of communal areas both in prisoner living areas and elsewhere in the prison; general maintenance; supporting library providers in librarian duties and working in prison stores. Using prisoners, under appropriate supervision, to undertake these tasks provides purposeful work and saves costs in not having to procure for such services.
	(1) Excludes specified industrial work.
	Note:
	The correct Hansard publication date was 19 June 2013, Official Report, columns 714-15W.

Reoffenders

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the proportion of re-offenders in UK prisons over the last 20 years;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to attempt to reduce the number of offences committed by individuals who have previously served a prison sentence.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice does not hold proven reoffending data for years prior to 2000; 2000 is the earliest year for which proven reoffending data exists for England and Wales on a comparable basis using data from the police national computer. These are available at;
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/proven-re-offending--2
	In recent years, reoffending rates have barely changed. Almost half of all offenders released from custody in 2010 reoffended within a year, and for prisoners sentenced to less than 12 months it is almost 60%.
	On 9 May, the Ministry of Justice published “Transforming Rehabilitation: a Strategy for Reform”, which sets out the plans for transforming the way in which offenders are managed in the community in order to bring down reoffending rates. Our reforms will extend statutory rehabilitation to offenders sentenced to less than 12 months, open up the market to a diverse range of new rehabilitation providers, and introduce new payment incentives to focus providers relentlessly on reducing reoffending.

Young Offender Institutions

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost of providing (a) breakfast, (b) lunch, (c) dinner and (d) all meals to each inmate at a young offenders institute was on Christmas Day 2012.

Jeremy Wright: The National Offender Management Service is responsible for setting food policy for prison establishments in England and Wales. There are a number of service delivery requirements that all prisons must meet, including that all prisoners are provided with three meals a day and offered a multi-choice pre-select menu for the lunchtime or evening meal and that the menu will reflect the diverse needs of the prison population.
	While guidance is provided to establishments the ultimate decision on what is provided and the cost of provision remains a local decision. As a result, the individual cost per meal will vary between establishments. For this reason it is not possible to provide the exact information requested. It is however possible to give illustrative figures based on the meals provided to one specific young offender institution. The following costs are taken from the menu offered on Christmas Day 2012 at HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Brinsford, Wolverhampton. Costing the most popular choice options for the day indicate the meal costs and total daily cost to be:
	Breakfast: 52p
	Lunch: £1.37
	Evening meal: 96p
	Supper pack: £1.06.

Young Offenders: Per Capita Costs

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the average young offender cost the Exchequer in the latest year for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the average prisoner cost the Exchequer in the latest year for which figures are available.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) do not hold or collate average costs relating to prisoners or young offenders met in full by the Exchequer. Costs, for instance relating to Health or Education, are met by other Government Departments and such details are not held by the MOJ.
	However, as part of the Government's Transparency Agenda, the MOJ Department routinely publishes full details of average costs per prisoner and place, including average young offender institutions (YOI's), based on actual net resource expenditure for each private and public sector prison in summary form for the whole of the prison estate in England and Wales after the end of the financial year.
	The latest information available for financial year 2011-12 is published as an Addendum to the NOMS Annual Report and Accounts and available on the Department's website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prison-and-probation-trusts-performance-statistics-2011-12
	We plan to publish similar summary information for financial year 2012-13 on the MOJ website in October alongside the Management Information Addendum.
	Copies of all previous Annual Reports and Accounts are also placed in the House Library.

Horticulture

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing the Australian system of cost-sharing between government and the horticultural industry for tree health and plant biosecurity measures in the UK.

David Heath: The approach to responsibility and cost sharing in Australia was considered by the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Expert Task force in developing its advice on improving biosecurity. This was also one of the issues discussed by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the right hon. Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), on a recent visit to Australia.
	Urgent work is already under way on the task force's recommendations for a prioritised Plant Health Risk Register and to strengthen contingency planning. An announcement on further action will be made in the coming weeks. While there were no specific recommendations made in relation to responsibility and cost sharing, developing the future approach to plant health will include consideration as to whether the sort of arrangements operating in Australia could be effective here in helping strengthen plant biosecurity.

Human Rights

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will revise the Human Rights and Democracy Programme to enable support of longer-term projects than the one-year cycle currently permits.

David Lidington: Since April the Human Rights and Democracy programme has been able to support projects of up to two years in duration. The allocation of funding ensures that that the programme retains flexibility to fund both longer term strategic projects as well as more tactical or shorter duration projects.

International Covenant On Civil and Political Rights

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration he has given to the UK becoming a state party to the First Optional Protocol of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

David Lidington: The UK is committed to a strong and effective international human rights system and we are state party to a number of international human rights treaties including the international covenant on civil and political rights.
	The UK Government however remains to be convinced of the added practical value to people in the UK of rights of individual petitions to the UN, considering that the UK has strong and effective laws under which individuals may seek remedies in the courts or in tribunals if they feel that their rights have been breached.
	To date the UK's experience under the two optional protocols it has ratified (in 2004 to the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and in 2009 to the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities) has not provided sufficient empirical evidence to establish the practical benefits of becoming a state party to a further optional protocol.

Iraq

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he holds on British Government projects in the Kurdistan region of Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The UK has funded a number of projects in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. These include training programmes for the police and women's shelter staff, and work with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to improve the protection of women's rights in legislation. We have also funded media training sessions for MPs in Erbil, and contribute to the European Union Integrated Rule of Law Mission—which aims to strengthen the rule of law and improve the justice system in Iraq. We will continue to work closely with the KRG through our Consulate General in Erbil.

Military Aid

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what legal advice he has commissioned from outside his Department on the transfer of lethal military support to non-state actors.

William Hague: As I said in my statement to Parliament on 20 May, no decision has been made on whether to supply lethal military support to the Syrian opposition. This route would only be pursued under certain conditions, namely in conjunction with other nations, in carefully controlled circumstances, in accordance with our obligations under national and international law. The British Government ensures that it acts in accordance with domestic and international law obligations. It is a long standing convention followed by successive governments not to comment on legal advice to Ministers.

Military Aid

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what legal advice he has commissioned from within his Department on the transfer of lethal military support to non-state actors.

William Hague: As I said in my statement to Parliament on 20 May, no decision has been made on whether to supply lethal military support to the Syrian opposition. This route would only be pursued under certain conditions, namely in conjunction with other nations, in carefully controlled circumstances, in accordance with our obligations under national and international law. The British Government ensures that it acts in accordance with domestic and international law obligations. It is a long standing convention followed by successive governments not to comment on legal advice to Ministers.

Mobile Phones

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which companies supply (a) mobile telephones and (b) mobile data services to his Department.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office use Vodafone, primarily for its UK users, as supplier of mobile telephone and mobile data service. This contract was awarded after a competition under the Government Procurement Service Mobile Solutions Framework.
	UK missions overseas procure mobile phones and services locally. These local contracts are awarded to suppliers that meet the required service levels and standards, and to suppliers that offer the best value for money. Unfortunately, it is not possible to obtain a list of all mobile phone suppliers used by UK missions overseas without incurring disproportionate costs.

Religious Freedom

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will convene an expert group to consider the issues involved in initiating a process to consider an international convention on freedom of religion or belief.

David Lidington: The Government acknowledges the arguments in favour of an international convention on freedom of religion or belief, but we do not think such a convention is negotiable in the current international climate.
	We believe that our resources are better targeted on practical initiatives aimed at making a difference for people who are suffering discrimination and violence because of their religion or belief. And at the international level our focus is maintaining the fragile consensus on freedom of religion or belief expressed in UN Human Rights Council Resolution 16/13 and its successor resolutions, led by the EU, and our efforts to promote practical implementation of UN Human Rights Council Resolution 16/18 on combating intolerance and discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief.

Religious Freedom

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the UN to ensure that funding is provided to support a paid, full-time Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief and resource their office.

David Lidington: We fully support the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief. However UN human rights Special Rapporteurs are not full-time appointments, nor do they receive a wage. This allows the UN to draw upon a broader range of human rights expertise. Making representations in favour of a full-time paid Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief would entail a wholesale re-negotiation of the role and function of Special Rapporteurs which the Government does not think would be a profitable exercise.

Sick Leave

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many days on average staff of his Department in each pay grade were absent from work as a result of ill health in each of the last 12 months.

Alistair Burt: The average number of days staff in each pay grade were absent from work in each of the last 12 months (financial year) is as follows:
	
		
			 Grade April 2012 May 2012 June 2012 July 2012 August 2012 September 2012 
			 A1 0.94 0.18 0.67 0.53 0.12 0.60 
			 A2 0.49 0.58 0.55 0.60 0.50 0.44 
			 B3 0.29 0.28 0.24 0.29 .0.32 0.28 
			 C4 0.22 0.26 0.25 0.21 0.14 0.12 
			 C5 0.15 0.23 0.14 0.13 0.15 0.11 
			 D6 0.11 0.11 0.10 0.10 0.17 0.11 
			 D7 0.04 0.10 0.24 0.21 0.24 0.07 
			 SMS 0.08 0.06 0.03 0.01 0.01 0.05 
		
	
	
		
			 Grade October 2012 November 2012 December 2012 January 2013 February 2013 March 2013 
			 A1 0.76 1.06 0.66 0.68 0.41 0.48 
			 A2 0.62 1.07 0.47 0.94 0.69 0.66 
			 B3 0.57 0.47 0.24 0.72 0.22 0.73 
			 C4 0.15 0.18 0.17 0.55 0.14 0.15 
			 C5 0.15 0.26 0.14 0.65 0.38 0.29 
			 D6 0.14 0.15 0.08 0.50 0.26 0.14 
			 D7 0.13 0.11 0.12 0.54 0.17 0.23 
			 SMS 0.05 0.40 0.09 0.05 0.01 0.08 
		
	
	The above figures represent only FCO UK based staff (around 4,800) who work either in the UK or in one of our missions abroad. They do not include locally—engaged or FCO Services staff.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has robust measures in place to monitor sick absence. Our absence rate has reduced since 2008. All long-term absences are actively managed by our Health and Welfare Team, working alongside staff, their line managers, Occupational Health and Disability Support Teams. The FCO also offers staff access to an Employee Assistance programme (EAP) under a DEFRA-sponsored cross government framework.
	We report sick absence to the FCO Board and to the Cabinet Office and continue to investigate any fluctuation in absence rates. The FCO continues to have a lower annual working days lost (AWDL) figure compared to the civil service average.
	The total number of working days lost through short and long-term sick absence, certified and uncertified for the financial years 2010-11 and 2011-12, are published in the FCO annual departmental report (HC59). Figures for 2012-13 will be published in the very near future.
	The FCO HR system records the total number of sick days a member of staff has taken for a particular period of absence against the month they have returned to work. This will occasionally produce a higher than average number of days of sickness in a particular month if a member of staff returns from a period of sickness that spans two or more months. To separate these absences out would incur disproportionate costs.

Staff

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on (a) recruitment agency fees, (b) outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff and (c) staff training in each of the last 12 months.

Alistair Burt: The information is as follows:
	(a) The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) uses recruitment agencies to attract a wide range of applicants to ensure its work force is as diverse and highly skilled as possible. For specialist recruitment campaigns, agencies are better placed to target applicants with the most relevant skills within that sector. A competitive tendering process is run to select an agency for external recruitment campaigns. This has proven to be more cost-effective than in-house recruitment. FCO officials are currently collating the information spent by the Department on recruitment agency fees. I will write to my hon. Friend when the data is available and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.
	(b) The FCO has not spent any money on outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff.
	(c) The amount spent on staff training in the last Financial year was:
	
		
			  £ 
			 April 2012 758,822.86 
			 May 2012 954,906.14 
			 June 2012 1,067,068.34 
			 July 2012 585,440.09 
			 August 2012 453,872.43 
			 September 2012 521,210.76 
			 October 2012 1,242,777.82 
			 November 2012 904,379.57 
			 December 2012 965,292.75 
			 January 2013 747,806.35 
			 February 2013 1,457,651.69 
			 March 2013 2,161,569.44 
			 Total 11,820,798.24

Turkey

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his Turkish Government counterpart on the continued imprisonment without conviction of 46 Kurdish lawyers.

David Lidington: The British Government has not made representations to the Turkish Government on this case. It is not usual government practice to intervene in the judicial processes of another sovereign country, but we expect Turkey to uphold legal and judicial standards that are in line with international standards. Our embassy in Ankara will continue to monitor the situation closely.
	Freedom of expression and access to fair trials are fundamental rights which we expect to be upheld in democratic societies. The UK plays an integral part in delivering the EU human rights strategy in Turkey and we agreed and supported the EU's Annual Progress Report on Turkey which covers a wide range of issues, including human rights and the judiciary. We and our EU partners will continue to raise these issues with Turkey. I raised human rights with Egemen Bagis, (Turkish Minister of European Affairs) during a meeting in February.

Turkey

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the accession of Turkey to the EU.

David Lidington: Her Majesty's Government continues to be a strong supporter of Turkey's EU accession. The decision of the General Affairs Council on 25 June to open Chapter 22 (Regional Policy) “in principle” was constructive and welcome. The EU accession process remains a key driver for reform in Turkey. The Government believes that it is in the interests of the whole of Europe to see political, judicial and economic progress on accession continue.

Vacancies

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's vacancy rate was in 2012-13; and what vacancy rate has been assumed for 2013-14.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not record a staff vacancy rate. Staff turnover rate, which monitors the pace at which staff leave the Department as a proportion of the average total number of staff in the Department, is used for workforce planning purposes, and is expressed as an annual percentage rate. The staff turnover rate for FY 2012-13 was 4.2%, excluding voluntary redundancies. We forecast a slightly higher turnover rate in FY 2013-14, as we strengthen measures to meet our planned reduction in UK Based staff headcount of 10% over the SR2010-15 period.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Jack Dromey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  pursuant to the oral answer from the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Feltham and Heston of 12 June 2013, Official Report, columns 335-6, what mechanism will be put in place to stop people using the Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee Scheme to purchase a second home;
	(2)  whether the mechanism to prevent people using the Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee Scheme to purchase a second home will be in place on the day the scheme launches.

Sajid Javid: The intention of the Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme is clear: to help first time buyers and families moving to meet their needs. For that reason, as with the Help to Buy: equity loan, the Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee will only be available for a purchaser's sole property. Lenders will need to collect a borrower declaration as part of the mortgage application. The scheme is expected to go live in January 2014.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Clive Betts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will make it his policy that there should be a role for the private mortgage insurance industry in the Government's Help to Buy scheme;
	(2)  whether he has undertaken a comparative assessment of the costs of the guarantees offered under the Help to Buy scheme and schemes operating in other countries which are guaranteed by private insurance;
	(3)  whether he has estimated potential savings to the public purse through involving the private mortgage insurance industry in the Help to Buy scheme;
	(4)  what account he has taken of the views of the International Monetary Fund, the G20 and the Joint Forum of the Basel Committee on the benefits of using private mortgage insurance in relation to high loan-to-value lending;
	(5)  whether he has undertaken an assessment of potential conflict between state aid rules and the Help to Buy scheme due to unfair competition with the private mortgage insurance industry.

Sajid Javid: HM Treasury has received a number of proposals for Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee from interested parties, including private mortgage insurers, and the Department reviews each one carefully. The Government will continue to work with industry on the guarantee as set out in the scheme design document published alongside the Budget.
	When using the Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme, lenders will need to pay the Government a commercial fee -for-each mortgage guaranteed under the scheme. This fee will be set so that the scheme is self-financing, in line with European Commission guidance, and will therefore be set on a commercial basis.
	Further details on the scheme will be announced later this year.

Revenue and Customs: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times he has met HM Revenue and Customs officials in Northern Ireland since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Sajid Javid: Treasury Ministers and officials engage with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Governments practice to release details of all such meetings.

Tax Burden: Retail Trade

Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the tax burden on high street retailers in comparison to retailers which operate wholly or partially on the internet.

David Gauke: The breakdown of tax receipts requested is not available. Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs produces a breakdown by broad industrial sector for corporation tax, pay-as-you-earn income tax and class 1 national insurance contributions (NICs) and value added tax (VAT). The latest update is available here:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics
	Data is not available which distinguishes between high street retailers and those which operate partially or wholly on the internet.

UK Membership of EU

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the economic benefit of UK membership of the EU.

Greg Clark: The Government has made no such estimate.

Employment Schemes: Young People

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the reasons are for the time taken to publish Youth Contract performance data for 18 to 24 year olds; and when he expects the first such data to be published.

Mark Hoban: Data on work experience and sector-based work academies are published as part of the regular Official Statistics available on:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/series/pre-work-programme-and-get-britain-working#publications#
	The statistics that first covered the introduction of Youth Contract were published in August 2012.
	On 24 June the Department announced that the first set of experimental statistics on wage incentive payments will be published on 22 July. The Department has been working to guidelines set by the UK Statistics Authority to ensure we publish statistics that meet high quality standards at the earliest opportunity.

Mobile Phones

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which companies supply (a) mobile telephones and (b) mobile data services to his Department.

Mark Hoban: DWP acquire mobile telephony and mobile data services from BT as part of a wider range of telephony and network services provided under the terms of the ICONS (Integrated Communications and Network Services) contract.
	From 1 October 2010 BT subcontracted to Vodafone for the provision of mobile telephony services and they currently provide the majority of mobile telephones and mobile data services to the DWP (although Orange are also sub-contracted to provide a very small element of both where there are issues with Vodaphone network reception).
	This sub-contracting arrangement is used to enable DWP to access central Government tariffs that were the subject of an agreement between Cabinet Office and Vodafone.

Social Security Benefits: Cancer

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the total level of financial support a cancer sufferer would receive over a 12 month period if they were (a) employed and (b) unemployed and claiming out of work benefits at the time when treatment rendered them unable to work.

Mark Hoban: The Government is committed to giving cancer suffers the support they need. There are a range of benefits available to cancer patients, and support will vary dependent on individual financial circumstances. For those who continue to be employed working tax credit, housing benefit and disability living allowance or personal independence payments may be available. Where cancer suffers are unable to work, employment and support allowance, housing benefit and disability living allowance or personal independence payments may be available. Disability benefits are not paid because of the condition itself, but the effects it has on capability to work, and care and mobility needs.

Staff

Mike Freer: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much his Department spent on (a) recruitment agency fees, (b) outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff and (c) staff training in each of the last 12 months.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office spent £229,824 on recruitment agency fees for posts recruited from July 2012 to June 2013.
	Since 2011, details of Cabinet Office expenditure over £25,000 is published at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-spend-data
	At present this covers expenditure up to and including March 2013. Data for April and May 2013 is to be published shortly.
	The Cabinet Office does not hold a central record of outplacement agency fees, nor does it hold a central of staff training costs.

Class Sizes

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education in which local education authorities (a) primary and (b) secondary school class sizes have risen since May 2010, by size of increase; and if he will make a statement.

David Laws: A table showing average class sizes in primary and secondary schools in each local authority in January 2013 has been placed in the House Library.
	Data on class sizes in state-funded primary and secondary schools for January 2010 is available at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2010
	The relevant information is contained within table 14a for primary schools and 14c for secondary schools, within the link ‘Local Authority Tables SFR09/2010’.
	The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 limits the size of an infant class to 30 pupils per school teacher. Additional children may be admitted in exceptional circumstances—for example, looked after children or children of UK service personnel. Classes often reduce to 30 naturally over the subsequent year or two. This Government is spending £5 billion by 2015 on creating new school places, more than double the amount spent by the last government in an equivalent timeframe. This will help reduce the pressure on infant classes.
	We have also opened 81 free schools and approved some 200 more—providing 130,000 extra places in total once full.

Truancy and Pupil Exclusions

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what the change has been in the number of (a) unauthorised absences and (b) exclusions in schools since 2010;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of changes in school (a) truancy and (b) exclusions rates since 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: The available information on unauthorised absence from 2009/10 to 2011/12 and on fixed period and permanent exclusions for 2009/10 and 2010/11 is shown in the following tables.
	The latest data on absence for the school year is published in the ‘Pupil Absence in Schools in England, Including Pupil Characteristics: 2011/12’ Statistical First Release(1).
	The latest data on exclusions is published in the ‘Permanent and fixed-period exclusions from schools in England: academic year 2010 to 2011’ Statistical First Release(2)
	Exclusion information for 2011/12 will be published on 25 July 2013.
	(1)https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england-including-pupil-characteristics
	(2)https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-from-schools-in-england-academic-year-2010-to-2011
	
		
			 State-funded primary, state-funded secondary and special schools(1, 2, 3, 4): Pupil absence by type of school 2009/10 to 2011/12—England 
			  2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 
			 Total    
			 Number of pupil enrolments(5) 6,387,685 6,362,835 6,411,085 
			 Sessions missed due to unauthorised absence 19,694,470 20,011,005 18,873,275 
			 Unauthorised absence rate(6) 1.0 1.1 1.0 
			 State-funded primary schools(1, 2)    
			 Number of pupil enrolments(5) 3,374,040 3,392,330 3,453,445 
			 Sessions missed due to unauthorised absence 6,665,410 7,087,005 6,918,630 
			 Unauthorised absence rate(6) 0.7 0.7 0.7 
			 State-funded secondary schools(1, 3)    
			 Number of pupil enrolments(5) 2,934,805 2,911,100 2,878,120 
			 Sessions missed due to unauthorised absence 12,595,745 12,472,735' 11,504,105 
			 Unauthorised absence rate(6) 1.4 1.4 1.3 
			 Special schools(4)    
			 Number of pupil enrolments(5) 78,840 79,405 79,520 
			 Sessions missed due to unauthorised absence 433,315 451,265 450,540 
			 Unauthorised absence rate(6) 2.0 2.0 2.0 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes primary academies, including free schools. (3) Includes city technology colleges and secondary academies, including free schools. (4) Includes maintained special schools, non-maintained special schools and special academies. Excludes, hospital schools, independent special schools and independent schools approved for SEN pupils. (5) Number of pupil enrolments in schools from start of the school year up until the end of the fifth half term. Includes pupils on the school roll for at least one session who are aged between five and 15, excluding boarders. Some pupils may be counted more than once (if they moved schools during the school year or are registered at more than one school). (6) The number of registration sessions missed due to unauthorised absence expressed as a percentage of the total number of possible sessions. There are two registration sessions per day. Totals may not appear to equal the sum of component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest5. Source: School Census 
		
	
	
		
			 State-funded primary, state-funded secondary and special schools1, 2, 3, 4 number of permanent exclusions by type of school England 2009/10 to 2010/11 
			  2009/10 2010/11 
			 Total:   
			 Number of permanent exclusions 5,740 5,080 
			 Percentage of school population(6) 0.08 0.07 
			 State-funded primary schools(1,2)   
			 Number of permanent exclusions 620 610 
			 Percentage of school population(6) 0.02 0.01 
			 State-funded secondary schools(1,3)   
		
	
	
		
			 Number of permanent exclusions 5,020 4,370 
			 Percentage of school population(6) 0.15 0.13 
			 Special schools(4)   
			 Number of permanent exclusions 100 110 
			 Percentage of school population(6) 0.11 0.12 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes primary academies. (3) Includes city technology colleges and academies (including all through academies). (4) Includes maintained special schools and non maintained special schools. Excludes general hospitals, hospital schools. (5) The number of fixed period exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of all pupils (excluding dually registered pupils) in January each year. Totals may not appear to equal the sum of component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. (6) The number of permanent exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of all pupils (excluding dually registered pupils) in January each year. Source: School Census 
		
	
	
		
			 State-funded primary, state-funded secondary and special schools1, 2, 3, 4 number of fixed period exclusions by type of school England 2009/10 to 2010/11 
			  2009/10 2010/11 
			 Total:   
			 Number of fixed period exclusions 331,380 324,110 
			 Percentage of school population(5) 4.46 4.34 
			 State-funded primary schools(1,2)   
			 Number of fixed period exclusions 37,210 37,790 
			 Percentage of school population(5) 0.91 0.91 
			 State-funded secondary schools(1,3)   
			 Number of fixed period exclusions 279,260 271,980 
			 Percentage of school population(5) 8.59 8.40 
			 Special schools(4)   
			 Number of fixed period exclusions 14,910 14,340 
			 Percentage of school population(5) 16.46 15.66 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes primary academies. (3) Includes city technology colleges and academies (including all through academies). (4) Includes maintained special schools and non maintained special schools. Excludes general hospitals, hospital schools. (5) The number of fixed period exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of all pupils (excluding dually registered pupils) in January each year. Totals may not appear to equal the sum of component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: School Census

Devolution

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will place in the Library any concordats which his Department or the public bodies for which he is responsible have with the devolved administrations.

Gregory Barker: The Memorandum of Understanding and Supplementary Agreements, agreed in September 2012, set out principles which underlie the relationship between the UK Government and the devolved Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. These documents are available in the Libraries of the House.
	In addition, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has agreed a concordat that sets out the framework for administrative co-operation for the implementation of the regulatory framework established by the Climate Change Act 2008, with counterparts in the devolved Administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Copies of the documents will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
	We will check whether the public bodies that DECC has responsibility for have concordats with the devolved Administrations and these, or links to them, will be placed in the Libraries of the House in due course.

Renewable Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2013, Official Report, columns 461-2W, on renewable energy, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's analysis of projects with the potential to generate 20 megawatts or more recorded on the renewable energy planning database cross-referenced by information on investment provided by developers.

Michael Fallon: The Renewable Energy Planning Database is already in the public domain and can be found at:
	https://restats.decc.gov.uk/cms/planning-database/
	Estimates of jobs and investment for projects with the potential to generate 20 MW or more were provided through analysis of publically available announcements and commercially sensitive information provided in confidence by developers. The following tables set out our analysis of projects aggregated by UK country, and English region.
	
		
			 Table 1: Breakdown of jobs and investment announcements since 2010 by UK country 
			  Announcement numbers 
			 Country Recorded investment Jobs that the announcement has the potential to support 
			 England £14,463 million 18,613 
			 Scotland £13,109 million 9,143 
			 Wales £1,399 million 1,952 
			 Northern Ireland £304 million 267 
			    
		
	
	
		
			 Total £29.2 billion 29,975 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Breakdown of jobs and investment announcements since 2010 by English regions 
			  Announcement numbers 
			 Region Recorded investment Jobs that the announcement has the potential to support 
			 North West £486 million 1,110 
			 North East £1,300 million 2,190 
			 West Midlands £17 million 140 
			 Yorkshire £2,882 million 3,801 
			 South West £1,467 million 1,643 
			 East Midlands £435 million 1,310 
			 London £85 million 225 
			 South East £80 million 488 
			 East £7,711 million 7,706 
			    
			 Total £14.46 billion 18,613 
			 Note: All figures are based on the Renewable Energy Planning Database and industry announcements. These are not official figures.

Serco

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department currently spends on contracts with Serco; and how much was spent in each year since 2008.

Gregory Barker: The following amounts (excluding VAT) have been paid to Serco Ltd:
	
		
			  £000 
			 2013-14 (1)7,000 
			 2012-13 18,000 
			 2011-12 2,000 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 2,000 
			 2009-10 l,710 
			 (1 )To end of May 2013

Higher Education: Scholarships

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness, performance and effects of the National Scholarship Programme.

David Willetts: The Government has been very clear about the importance of widening participation and improving fair access in higher education—all those with the ability should have access to higher education, irrespective of family income.
	The Government is establishing a new framework, with increased responsibility placed on universities to widen participation. This includes arrangements for annual access agreements. Universities plan to spend over £670 million in 2016/17 on measures to widen participation through their access agreements.
	To make sure that we're doing everything possible to widen participation and promote fair access BIS Ministers asked the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) to develop a shared strategy for access and student success which will include advice to ensure we achieve the maximum impact from spending by Government, HEFCE and institutions. HEFCE and OFFA are due to deliver the strategy in autumn 2013. An interim report was published on 7 March 2013.
	Data about the National Scholarship Programme (NSP) submitted to HEFCE by institutions have shown that approximately 35,000 students are expected to receive an award during 20012/13. Around £69 million is expected to be delivered in the form of fee waivers, £21 million through cash bursaries, £2 million on free or discounted foundation years, and £29 million on discounted accommodation and other institutional support. Students have a choice over how they receive the remaining £10 million.
	Independent evaluation has shown that there is a low awareness of the NSP. In addition, it was found to have limited impact on students' decision making because funding is not generally guaranteed at the point of application to university. From 2015/16, the Government will refocus the National Scholarship Programme to support postgraduate students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The £50 million fund will be administered by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). HEFCE will allocate the money competitively to higher education institutions, and will attract additional scholarship funding from the private sector or from the institutions' own resources.

Manufacturing Industries: Sports

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to support sports equipment manufacturers.

Michael Fallon: Sports equipment manufacturers can access help and advice to start and grow their business through ‘GREAT’
	www.greatbusiness.gov.uk
	or
	www.gov.uk
	eligible businesses can gain support in areas such as running, funding, staffing and expanding a business. The Government funded Manufacturing Advisory Service provides practical support on all aspects of manufacturing, including direct access to manufacturing experts with a proven track record
	www.mymas.org/services
	There is also support available from UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) for those companies wishing to grow through international trade.
	In addition, the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative aims to improve global competitiveness of UK manufacturing supply chains by supporting innovative projects where the UK is well placed to take a global lead. The deadline for applications to Round 4 is noon on 16 October 2013; further information about the competition—which is open to all organisations operating as part of a manufacturing supply chain—can be found at the AMSCI helpdesk webpage:
	www.financebirmingham.com/amsci

Press: Subscriptions

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on newspapers, periodicals and trade publications in the last 12 months.

Jo Swinson: The financial data held within BIS does not separately identify the amount spent on newspapers and periodicals and such costs are included amongst all publication costs.
	In the 12 months to June 2013 the amount of expenditure against all publications was £194,258. This figure includes a range of publications, including newspapers and periodicals.
	The Department does publish details of all individual spend transactions as part of its obligations under transparency. These details are openly available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-innovation-skills/series/bis-spending-totals
	The work of BIS regularly leads the news agenda and national, regional and specialist media all have a keen interest in the Department's work. It's an important part of our work to keep abreast of all media coverage, not just of what the Department does, but also breaking news and analysis about all its very diverse policy areas.

Cancer

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will hold discussions with UK broadcasters on the scope for the inclusion of factual and relevant information relating to the signs and symptoms of cancer within the storylines of popular serial dramas.

Anna Soubry: Public Health England (PHE) has a keen pro-active interest in working with the media across all campaigns and regularly meets with media owners—including television programming—and briefs them on its campaigns. This includes PHE engaging proactively with programme makers to understand how we can support and influence future storylines.
	In terms of the cancer sign and symptoms campaign, it ensures that up to date information on the various campaigns and advice as well as leaflets and posters (for appropriate display within programmes) are provided regularly. Programme makers wish their dramas to be topical and relevant and it is both their and PHE's interest to develop the relationship further.
	PHE cannot influence storylines as such but can ensure that up to date information on campaigns and initiatives is provided.